6 Nutella 

Nutella was invented during World War II by an Italian, Pietro Ferrero, and put up on the market in 1964. Ferrero was a pastry maker who mixed hazelnuts into chocolate to extend his chocolate ration and thus created Nutella. 

The first jar of Nutella came out from the Ferrero factory in Alba on 20 April 1964, but it originated back in the 1940s. Cocoa was extremely scarce, so Ferrero came up with a creative solution of mixing sweet paste made from hazelnuts, sugar, and a little bit of cocoa. 

Nutella was first made into a sweet paste shaped into a loaf that could be spread on bread and was named “Giandujot.” This paste was transformed into a creamier paste in 1951, which came to be known as “SuperCrema.” 

Finally, in 1964, the recipe was improved, and Nutella was officially born. The breakdown of the word Nutella is: “nut,” as an English word derived from hazelnut. and “ella” as an Italian word that means “affection and positive judgment.” 

Today, Nutella is the best-selling spreadable cream in the world and is produced at a rate of nearly 365,000 tons per year. Most of the product’s success is owed to Ferrero’s ability to create demand and adapt the advertising message according to the time. (1, 2)

7 Cup Noodles

The inventor of Cup Noodles (used to be called “Cup O’ Noodles”) and instant ramen is the same, Momofuku Ando. The idea of making Cup Noodles occurred to him when he saw American supermarket executives break up his ramen to fit it into styrofoam coffee cups, added boiling water, and just started eating the ramen with folks. 

Momofuku Ando, the same man who made instant ramen and Cup Noodles, also founded Nissin Foods in 1948. The idea of making instant noodles hit Ando when he first watched people line up to purchase cheap noodles in black markets. 

Working on this idea, he invented Chikin Noodles but struggled to find investors, so he had to directly approach the public by holding tasting events. In 1966, he traveled to the US to promote Chikin Ramen and was surprised at his reception. 

He saw the Americans were breaking the packs of dried noodles into pieces, putting them into cups, and pouring boiling water into the container. Rather than preparing Chikin Ramen in cups, they served it in a bowl. 

Inspired by this technique, Ando crafted a new product after returning to Japan. The Nissin company was able to master wrapping plastic foam cups around dried noodles placed in the center after a lot of trial and error. 

Later they also added different flavors atop the noodles and Ando installed a pull-back lid which was inspired by a container of macadamia nuts. Cup Noodles were first sold in America in November 1973, before which they received a considerable response in Japanese markets. (Source)

8 Peanut Butter 

The founder of Kellogg’s cereal, John Harvey Kellogg, patented a process for making modern peanut butter. He marketed the product as a healthy protein substitute for people without teeth. However, credits for the actual invention, the process of manufacturing, and machinery go to three different doctors and inventors. 

Before diving into the history of peanut butter, it is necessary to note that it actually dates back to South American Aztec times. What Aztec people used to make was a little different from what we know as peanut butter today, but it was still mashed, roasted peanuts that were made into a paste. 

It is falsely believed that George Washington Carver invented modern peanut butter, although he just promoted more than 300 uses of peanuts among other crops. These, however, didn’t include peanut butter. 

A Canadian named Marcellus Gilmore Edson in 1884 patented “peanut paste.” This paste was produced after milling roasted peanuts between two heated surfaces. Then in 1895, Dr. Kelloggs patented the process of creating peanut butter from raw peanuts. 

Later in 1903 came Ambrose Straub of St. Louis who patented a peanut butter-making machine. And finally, a chemist, Joseph Rosefield, invented a process for making smooth peanut butter. This process kept the oil separated using partially hydrogenated oil. 

He eventually began producing and selling the smooth product in 1932 under the name “Skippy.” (1, 2)

9 Hawaiian Pizza

A Greek immigrant in Canada, Sam Panopoulos, also a restaurant owner, invented the Hawaiian pizza. Out of curiosity, Panopoulos experimented by placing canned pineapple on a pizza just to discover how it tastes. His customers enjoyed it and the invention became a big hit. 

Panopoulos arrived in Canada by boat in 1954, and by the 1960s, he had already established a small chain of restaurants in Ontario with his two brothers. The brothers saw their business of selling burgers and pizzas becoming more and more successful each year. 

However, the most famous feat of the Italian family would be the Hawaiian pizza. Panopoulos mentioned in an interview in 2017 that he experimented with pineapple and pizza in the 60s just out of curiosity and fun. 

All three of the brothers enjoyed the contrast between the sweetness of pineapple and the savory flavor of the ham. They introduced their new invention to some of the customers, and a couple of months later, they were crazy about it. The brothers eventually ended up putting the pineapple pizza on the menu. 

The Greek brothers sold the restaurant “Satellite” in the mid-1970s and later opened a new one “Family Circle” in London, Ontario. Some people hated the taste of Hawaiin pizza, while some absolutely love it. However, it was never the intention of Panopoulos’ to create a debate in the culinary world. (Source)

10 Garlic Knots

Garlic knots were first invented in 1973 to prevent waste. It was a pizzeria in Queens, New York that came up with garlic knots as a way of not wasting leftover pizza-dough scraps. They became instantly popular. 

Garlic knots were precisely the solution to the extra dough that is cast aside after forming the crust of a pizza. The leftover pizza dough is then sliced into thin strips and tied up into knots. 

Then the knots are brushed with olive oil to add flavor, texture, and a nice golden color after baking. After that, they could be served with chopped parsley, garlic, butter, and sometimes, parmesan cheese. 

The origin of garlic knots is traced to Queens Pizzeria in New York in 1973. However, the owner of Anthony’s Place in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Anthony Sette, claimed his restaurant served a dish that is a precursor to garlic knots back in 1947. He claims that they served “garlic rolls” that are similar to the knots and still serve them. 

Garlic knots are most abundantly available in pizzerias near New York, but one could also find them anywhere across the country. (Source)